Knitting machine and method of knitting



July 12, 1938.

R. H. LAWSON E1' Al.

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING 4v sheets-sheet s .Filed Deo. 23, 1932 se .3y @017 July 12, 1938. n. H. LAwsoN Er Al. 25123,701

KITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTNG Filed Dec. 2s, 1932 4 sheets-sheet 4 FI c'. 5

JNVJENWRS:

.fPaERTHZAWsaM RTHV/Y :2oz/715g By @m7 Try Patented July 12, 193s UNITED STATES KNITTING MACHINE AND lVmTHOD F. KNITTING Robert 1I.-y Lawson, Pawtucket, and Arthur N. Cloutier, Lonsdale, R. I., assignors to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. I., a corporation of Massachusetts l Application December 23, 1932,'Serial No. 648,686 n `8 Claims.

This invention relates to a stocking or half hose having a small heel as well as to a method of and machine for knitting the same. K

In the drawings:

Fig. -1 is a view infront elevation of a knitting machine equipped with mechanism for knitting the stocking or half hose;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation showing means for controlling they widening pick bracket;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of themechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a. view in side elevation showing the needle cylinder and cams for controlling the needles;

Fig. 5 is a 'plan view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the parts in another. phase of the knitting cycle;

Fig. 6 is a plan view similar to Fig. 5but showing the parts in still another phase of the knitting cycle; y

half hose knitted by the mechanism disclosed in Figs. 1-6 inclusive; and

Figs. 8 and 9 are views showing the two sides of the heel of a stocking or half hose, diagrammatically representing the protective courses.

The knitting machine indicated generally by the numeral I is provided with the usual yarn lever b ox 2 which has the usual yarn levers (not shown) for interchangeably feeding yarns, of threads vto the needles of the knitting machine. The usual or anydesired construction of cam block 3 is provided for controlling the needles in. their knitting operationathe said cam block Referringto Fig. 7, the stocking or half hose 9` is knitted in the usual manner excepting during the knitting of the heel IIJ. The heel I0 is progressively narrowed as at I I in the usual manner and-is then progressively widened as at l2 in the usual manner until the last fifteen wales, more or less, oneach side ,of 'the stocking are reached, at

which time the remaining groups I3, I3 of inactive short butt needles are so controlled`- as to be` simultaneously brought .into action or into knitting position, i. e., during one stroke or movel ment ,of the needle cylinder.

`As .hereinbefore `stated. the last fifteen short butt needles` on each side ofthe machine are simultaneously, movedv to active, knitting position,

yand to accomplish this purpose, a cam I4 is pro- A Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the stocking or (c1. se-4s) the needle cylinder continues its rotation also engages long butts I6 of the inactive, instep needles, with the result that the short butt needls I3 and some of the long butt needles are lowered to the knitting level indicated by the numeral I1, Fig. 4. After the long butt needles are lowered by cam I4, a cam I8 engages their long butts I6 and again raises the instep needlesA to an inactive, instep level; the short butts I5, however, moving past the said cam I8 without being elevated. During this stroke of the needle cylinder the said group of short butt needles I3 is actuated by the cams of cam block 3 thus knitting wales of a course I9, finally arriving at thev end of the stroke indicated in Fig. 6, the other group I3' of fteen short butt needles having meanwhile been restored to the knitting level by cam It.v Upon the` needle cylinder reversing lits movement and moving in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 6, the first mentioned group of fifteen short butt needles I3, knits wales of a course 20 being actuated by the cams comprising the cam block 3, and as` the needle cylinder continues to rotate in the direction of the arrow,

Fig. 6, the other group I3' of short butt needles is likewise actuated by the cams comprising the cam block 3, knittingother wales of course-IPI).v

As the first mentioned group I3 of fteen short butt needles approaches the cam block 3, the narrowing pick 4 thereat elevates the leading short butt needlewhich needle consequently retains its previously drawn loop but fails to knit during that stroke of the needle cylinder.`

Upon the `needle cylinder again reversingvits direction and moving in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5, and from the position shown in said figure', the group I3 of iifteen short butt needles knits wales of a course 2.I being actuated by the camspf cam block 3 after which, and upon continued rotation of the needle cylinder, the first group I3 of fifteen short butt needles, knits other wales of coursezl, the needle cylinder completing its stroke when the needles arrive at the position shown in Fig. 6. During the last mentioned stroke of the needle cylinder, the leading short butt needle of. group` I3. is` picked up by the vnarrowing pick t. I i

Following the vlast mentioned strokev of the' needle cylinder,the lneedle cylinder reverses its e the arrow, Fig. 6, for the first course of circular knitting. As the needle group I3 moves in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 6, its leading needle is picked up to the inactive level by the pick 4 after which the short butt needles knit the heel yarn, being actuated bythe cams comprising the cam blocks 3. About half of the short butt needles knit the heel yarn, the lighter, silk yarn for the foot being substituted for the heel yarn as the last half,imore or less, of. the short butt needles I6 commence knitting. The foot is thereafter knitted by continuous circular knitting and the leading short butt needles of the groups I3 and Il' which were picked to an idle levelby the picks4 and 4', are restored to the active, knitting level by the instep cam 1. J

The courses I9, 20 and 2l, knitted in the manner hereinbefore described, are knitted with the heel yarn and consequently provide protective courses between the point 22 of the heel suture and the relatively light, and preferably, silk thread which is knitted into the'foot of the stockbracket 24 supported by and upstanding from the cam ring or plate 8. The shank 23 extends through the bracket 24 and at such end is provided with an upstanding pin 25 which is straddled by two arms of a bifurcated lever 26. which latter is pivoted intermediate its ends at 21 upon a part of the bracket 24. The other arm of the aforesaid leveris pivotally connected to a link A 28 in turn pivoted at 28 to a depending arm Snofa b ell crank lever, pivoted intermediate its ends upon a pin 3i passing through the elbowvof the lever and into an angle bracket 32 which is fastened to and carried by cam bracket 33 which carries a jack cam 5 hereinbefore referred to. A coil spring 34 is attached at one end to lever arm 30 intermediate the ends thereof and at the -other end to bracket 33, such spring tending to urge the upper end of the arm 30 to the left, Fig. 4,

and consequently to hold the cam I4 in a retracted position away from the needle cylinder in which position it does not engage the needle butts. The action of the spring 34 also holds the free end of the arm 35 of the bell crank lever in a relatively lowered position, where a hardened shoe 36, which is adjustably' fastened to the free end of the said arm 15 so as to be properly 'positioned with respect to the free end oi' a lever 31, is maintained in engagement with the free end o f said lever 31,' Fig.

1, which latter'is pivoted at 88 to a bracket I9 depending fromthe circular base 8. Intermediate its ends the lever 21 is pivotally connected at 40 to-an adjustable link4I which latter depends therefrom and adjacent to its lower end vis -provided with a cam or lug 42 which is periodically engaged by means of a cam 43 mounted on the periphery'of a drum 44 which latter is rigidly mounted on the main cam shaft .45 of the machine. In order to steady the link 4I and mainmn the cam u in the path of the cam u, said link 4I extends below thel lug 42 n s'at 4,8 to engage the side of the drum 44.

The lug, 42, preferably, is engaged KAby Ia cam. oncevonly. during the knitting of each stocking or half hose, namely, when. the last uiteen short butt needles on each side of the machine are to be simultaneously restored to the knitting level.

As hereinbefore stated and as Vshown in Fig. '1, 'the heel pocket is progressively narrowed in the usual manner and is also progressively widened in the usual manner until the last fteen, more or less, of the short butt needles on each side of the cylinder are reached. At the beginning of the widening of the heel, the usual butterfly cam iselevated thereby permitting the widening picks 41 to be raised by the usual springs to positions where reciprocations of they needle cylinder will cause the two. leading short butt needles at each side of the cylinder 'to be engaged by widening picks' and lowered to a knitting level, the narrowing picks 4 constantly remaining in action. The means for raising the butterfly cam includes a cam 48 on the drum 44 which, vby engaging a toe 49 on a lever 50 pivoted to the machine frame as at 5I, rocks the said lever and causes the link 52 to rock'another lever 53 and thereby raise a rod 54 to the upper end of which the aforesaid lbutterfly camis connected. 'I'he cam 48 acts to rock the lever 50 as aforesaid, whenl'the widening orknitting of the second half of the heel is commenced; and the widening picks 41 remain in active position and work in conjunction with the narrowing picks 4, 4 in the usual manner until the last fifteen short buttneedles, more or less, on each side of the needle cylinder are reached at which time, as hereinbefore stated, the cam I4 acts to restore the said last fifteen needles at each side of the cylinder to the knitting level being, preferably, immediately attracted as indicated in Fig. 6. At the time the cam I4 is advanced in the manner aforesaid, the advancing of the drum 44 which eiects such cam movement also per- 'mits the toe 49 of.a lever 5I! to drop into the spacev .indicated by the numeral, 55, Fig. '2, thereby permitting the rod 54.-.-preferably assisted by a spring not shown---tov drop, which movement Acauses the aforesaid butterfly cam to retract the Wideningl picks 41 or move them to an inoperative position where they no longer engage the needle butts.

Although inthe foregoing description, reference has been'made to the knitting of protective courses for spacing the silk, instep yarn from the Point 22 of lthe h eel suture, the invention. in its broader aspect isdirected to the widened portion I2 (which `may be omitted altogether) of the heel being smaller than the narrowed portion II thereof, the smaller, widened portion I2 of t'ne heel being more suitable for stockings knitted with a slipper heel eifect. i. e., a low or narrow double sole' portion; If it vbe not necessary to provide strengthening courses ,adjacent to the point 22 of the heel suture. the 4widening of the heel may continue to the last vfifteen short'butt needles at each side of the stocking at which time the regular instep cam may be advanced thereby restoring all pf the needles (including the long butt needles) tothe knitting level whereupon circular knitting is resumed, the instep yarn beingiirst knitted by the last half of the short butt needles to pass the cam block 3.

half-courses have been described as being knitted on one side of the heel and three such protective half -courses on the other side thereof. The number of such half-courses may vary;V in other.

' VIn the foregoing description two protective words, the number of reciprocations of the needle cylinderubsequently to themoving to knitting position of the `groups I8 and I8' of 'short butt needles, may

amavo: 3

Although in' the foregoing description. the invention has been described in connection with the knitting of a small heel; nevertheless, there is no intention thereby to limit the claims to the knitting oi a heel although the toe pocket is, preferably, knitted in the usual manner. Furthermore; unless specific terms lare used, there is no intention of limiting the invention to the embodiment describedl in the foregoing description and/or shown inthe drawings.

We claim:

1. A method'of knitting a pocket consisting in progressively narrowing by oscillating a circular- -restoring to knitting a group of the withdrawn needles and continuing to knit with the same.

thread, the said group comprising more needles than are progressively added each widening course, and immediately thereafter knitting circular courses with a relatively light. thread.-

2. A method of knitting a pocket in a stocking consisting in progressively narrowing by oscillating a circular series of needles while progressively withdrawing needles from knitting, continuing the knitting by progressively adding withdrawn needles to the active series and then simultaneously restoring to knitting all oi' the remaining withdrawn needles comprising more needles than are progressively added each widening course while oontinuingto oscillate the needles and to knit with the same thread,

-and then knitting circular courses with a rela- 4 the knitting of the heel with a relatively heavy yarn upon-less than all of the needles of a knitting machine and knitting the foot of the stocking with a relatively light yarn upon all of theneedles, and interposing courses between the heelifand foot, said courses being knittedwith the same yarn used in the knitting of the heen. the method of knitting being such that the relacircular movements between theV needles and. cams during the knitting of the leg of the stocking .and means for causing relativeoscillatory movements during the knitting of the heel tof the stocking, the picks acting progressively upon the needles to 'eile'ct a narrowing and then a widening of the heell means forsimultaneously- 'restoring a group of needles to knitting4 position at the completion of widening of the heel, means vfor thereafter effecting the knittingof oscillatory yarn upon less than all of the needles of a knitfsaid'needles and'for moving the needles to eect the knittin'got fabric, there being duringknitting relative movements between the needles and the cams, means for causing 'continuous circular movements of the needles during the knitting of the leg ofthe stocking and means for causing oscillatory movements of the needles during the knitting of the heel. of the stocking, the picks acting progressively upon the needles to eil'ect a vnarrowirig and then a widening of the heel,

means for simultaneously restoring a group o! needles to knitting position at the completion of widening of the heel,` means for thereafter eiect- 7. A circular knitting machine having independent needles and picks for acting uponthe said needles and for moving the needles to eil'ect the knitting of fabric, there being during knitting relative movements between the needles and the cams, means for causing continuousrelative circular movements between the needles and cams during the'knitting of the leg of the stocking and means for causing relative oscillatory the needles to eiiect a narrowing and then a .l

widening of the heel, means for simultaneously restoring a group of needles to knitting position at the completion of widening of the heel, means for thereafter effecting the knitting of oscillatory courses, the heel courses and the last mentioned courses being knitted with the same yarn, means for thereafterknitting circular courses and with another yarn.` 4

8. .A circular knitting machine having independent needles and picks for acting upon the said needles and for moving the'needles to effect the knitting of fabric, there being 'during knitting relative movements between the needles and the cams, means for causing continuous circular movements of the needles during the knitting of Y the leg of the stocking and means forfcausing oscillatory movements-of the needles.` during the knitting of the heel of the stocking, the picks acting-progressively upon the needles to effect a narrowing and then a widening of the heel, means ing of the heel, means forthereafter effecting the knitting of.oscillatory courses, the heel courses and the last mentioned courses being knitted circular courses and with another yarn.

` ROBERT H. LAWSON.

ARTHUR-N. CLOUTIER.

-for' simultaneously restoring agroup of needles to knitting' position-at the completion of widen- "5 with the same yarn, means for thereafter knitting 

